जनै पुर्णिमा – Janai Purnima: The Day to Change the Sacred Threads

The day for celebrating Janai Purnima, changing the sacred thread (जनै) is the full moon day (श्रवणको पुर्णे ) in Shrawan (July-August). Hindu Nepalis take a dip in the nearby stream or a river or a well or take a shower at home and go to any holy place to change the sacred threads worn for a year without even taking them off for a single moment.

Pashupati or Kalmochan in Kathmandu or Muktinath in Mustang or any holy bank of rivers are the destinations for changing the sacred threads in Nepal.

A number of priests are available at all these destinations for performing the ceremony of changing sacred threads to customers. Strictly following the rules of changing sacred threads set by the ancestors, some Hindus shave heads including the eyebrow to clean the bodies before wearing new sacred threads.